The History Of Brady vs. Manning

Peyton Manning of the Denver Broncos and Tom Brady of the New England Patriots shake hands after the New England Patriots defeated the Denver Broncos 34-31 in overtime at Gillette Stadium on November 24, 2013. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

BOSTON (CBS) — They are two of the biggest names in football, and they have been for more than a decade. They are surefire Hall of Famers, and they’ll square off yet again this Sunday with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line.

They, of course, are Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, and Manning’s Broncos will host Brady’s Patriots in the AFC Championship — the third time the two will square off for a trip to the Super Bowl.

Though Peyton has changed teams, the two quarterbacks have grown familiar with seeing each other play, ever since Brady’s first career start back in 2001.

With another classic on tap for Sunday afternoon, here’s a quick look through the history books at how their meetings have gone over the years.

1. 2001, Week 3: Patriots 44, Colts 13

Peyton Manning and Tom Brady in 2001 (Photos by John Mottern/AFP/Getty Images)

Peyton’s final game at Foxboro Stadium was a real doozy, as he threw three interceptions in a blowout New England victory. Brady kept things simple in his first NFL start, going 13-for-23 for 168 yards.

“You envision the things that are going to happen in a game, all the possibilities,” Brady said after the win. “Never did I think it would be the runaway victory that it was.”

2. 2001, Week 6: Patriots 38, Colts 17

Tom Brady in 2001 (Photo by John Ruthroff/AFP/Getty Images)

It was a clean sweep for Brady and the Patriots over the Colts in 2001. This game went down in history not for what Brady or Manning did, but what David Patten did. The wide receiver scored a rushing and receiving touchdown, and he also threw for one, becoming the first player since Walter Peyton to do that. Brady did throw for three touchdowns for the first time in his career.

The NFL changed its divisions in 2002, which means the Patriots and Colts no longer played each other twice a year. They were reunited in 2003, a year that Peyton won co-MVP of the league. While Manning put up big numbers in this one (4 TDs, 1 INT), he and the Colts were stuffed four times on the goal line in the closing seconds to lose a classic in the RCA Dome. Rookie Deion Branch caught the third touchdown pass of his career from Brady.

4. 2003 AFC Championship: Patriots 24, Colts 14

Peyton Manning in the 2003 AFC Championship Game (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Many doubted the Patriots despite a 14-2 record on this frigid, snowy January day in Gillette Stadium, but the defense ended Manning’s season by picking off four of his passes. Ty Law had three himself, and only two Colts players caught more passes from Peyton. Brady went 22-for-37 for 237 yards, a touchdown and an interception, as the Patriots earned their trip to the Super Bowl.

5. 2004, Week 1 : Patriots 27, Colts 24

Peyton Manning in 2004 (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

After a championship game as great as the ’03 meeting between the Pats and Colts, the NFL couldn’t wait to get those two teams back on the field. And this game kicked off the 2004 season with a bang, as Brady outgunned Manning with 335 yards and three touchdowns. But it was the defense that saved the game, when rookie Vince Wilfork recovered an Edgerrin James fumble that kept the Colts out of the end zone late in the game.

6. 2004 Divisional Round: Patriots 20, Colts 3

Tom Brady spikes the ball after scoring a touchdown in the 2004 playoffs. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

Another postseason meeting, another round of “experts” picking the Colts, another Patriots victory. The defense held the Colts to three points after Manning’s team averaged more than 32 points per game during the regular season, and Brady and the offense possessed the ball for 37:43 in the huge victory in Foxboro. Manning threw zero touchdowns and one pick. Brady threw for one touchdown and ran for another.

7. 2005, Week 9:
Colts 40, Patriots 21

After his first win against Tom Brady, Peyton Manning shakes hands after the game in 2005. (Photo by Travis Lindquist/Getty Images)

It took until their seventh meeting for Manning to get a win over Brady. Coincidentally, this game marked the last time the Patriots were underdogs at home, which is how they enter the upcoming 2013 matchup with Manning’s Broncos. In this game, Peyton was excellent, throwing for 321 yards with 3 TDs and 1 INT. Brady threw 3 TDs and no interceptions, but it wasn’t enough. Doug Flutie got in toward the end of the blowout.

8. 2006, Week 9: Colts 27, Patriots 20

Adam Vinatieri (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

Manning made it two in a row with the 2006 meeting, as Brady had one of the worst games of his career. Brady threw no touchdowns and four interceptions, and to make the loss more painful for New England, it was the first time Adam Vinatieri played against his old team. The kicker missed two field goals but hit two others, and the Colts left Gillette with a perfect 8-0 record intact.

9. 2006 AFC Championship: Colts 38, Patriots 34

Peyton Manning celebrates winning the AFC Championship Game over the Patriots. oto by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

One of the most painful Patriots losses in the Bill Belichick-Tom Brady era came at the RCA Dome in January 2007. The Patriots opened up a 21-3 lead before Manning drove the Colts 80 yards for a field goal before halftime. The Colts stormed back to tie the game in the third before the two teams went back and forth, exchanging field goals and touchdowns before the Patriots took a three-point lead late in the fourth. Manning exorcised his Patriots and playoff demons by leading an 80-yard touchdown drive, and Brady was intercepted on the Patriots’ last-minute desperation drive.

“I don’t get into monkeys and vindication,” Manning said after earning a trip to the Super Bowl. “I don’t play that card.”

10. 2007, Week 9: Patriots 24, Colts 20

Tom Brady in 2007 (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

The undefeated Patriots had one of their biggest scares of the season in early November at Indy. The Colts, also undefeated to that point, led 20-10 in the fourth quarter, but two touchdown passes from Brady, which came less than five minutes apart, gave the Patriots a 24-20 lead. Manning’s attempt at a comeback stalled when he fumbled on a sack by Jarvis Green, and the Patriots escaped with a win.

11. 2009, Week 10: Colts 35, Patriots 34

Tom Brady in 2009 (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

Brady missed the 2008 season due to his knee injury, so the Brady-Manning rivalry was rekindled in a big way in 2009. Brady threw for 375 yards, three touchdowns and an interception, while Manning threw for 327 yards, four touchdowns and two picks. Yet this game was remembered for Brady’s completion to Kevin Faulk on fourth-and-2, which came up just short and gave Manning a short field for the winning drive.

“It’s a bummer,” Brady said.

12. 2010, Week 11: Patriots 31, Colts 28

Tom Brady in 2010 (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

In what turned out to be the final chapter of this rivalry that involved the Colts, Brady’s 19-for-25, two-touchdown day was enough to earn a victory. James Sanders’ interception at the New England 6-yard line late in the fourth quarter prevented Manning from the comeback.

“I feel sick about it, about not extending the game, not executing to give [Adam] Vinatieri a chance for a field goal,” Manning said of his late interception. “It was a bad throw.”

13. 2012, Week 5: Patriots 31, Broncos 21

Tom Brady scores a touchdown against the Broncos in 2012. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

The new era of Brady-Manning games took place last season, with Manning in a Broncos uniform for the first time at Gillette. The Patriots opened up a 31-7 lead in the third quarter, with Brady throwing and running for a touchdown, but the Broncos made a game of it, with Manning’s third touchdown pass cutting the Pats’ lead to 10 points with 6:43 to play. The Broncos were driving after a Stevan Ridley fumble, but Willis McGahee coughed up the ball, and the Pats held on for a 10-point win.

14. 2013, Week 12: Patriots 34, Broncos 31 OT

Tom Brady celebrates after throwing a second-half touchdown in New England’s 34-31 overtime win over the Broncos in Week 12. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

The 9-1 Broncos came into Gillette Stadium looking strengthen their hold on the top spot in the AFC, and it looked like they would do just that after jumping out to a 24-0 lead at halftime.

The Patriots fumbled the ball away three times in the first half, But Brady and the Patriots pulled off one of the most incredible regular-season comebacks . He threw three second-half touchdowns and the Patriots scored 31-unanswered points until a Demaryius Thomas touchdown tied things at 31-31 with three minutes to go in the game.

In overtime, after each team got two cracks at the end zone, the Patriots lined up to punt the ball away with just over three minutes left. Ryan Allen sent a booming kick up high into the evening sky, one that Wes Welker had no interest in fielding. But while he tried to warn Tony Carter the kick was coming towards him, the ball bounced and hit off the Broncos cornerback and Nate Ebner was able to recover it at the Denver 13-yard line.

Stephen Gostkowski booted a 31-yarder a few plays later to give the Patriots a 34-31 win and New England improved to 8-3 on the season.

The Patriots held Manning to just 150 yards, the worst passing day he had during his historic season. Brady and the Patriots improved to 10-4 against Manning with November’s win.

Tune in to the AFC Championship game on 98.5 The Sports Hub and WBZ-TV — the flagship stations of the New England Patriots. WBZ-TV will have a special 90-minute edition of Patriots GameDay beginning at 11:30am, with pregame coverage beginning on 98.4 FM at noon.